Unveiling the Whale by Arne Kalland†

Author:Arne Kalland† [Kalland†, Arne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Nature, Environmental Conservation & Protection, Animals, Wildlife, Political Science, International Relations, General, Social Science, Anthropology
ISBN: 9780857451583
Google: QnqbmAEACAAJ
Publisher: Berghahn Books
Published: 2011-11-15T04:22:02+00:00

Chapter 5

Whaling and Identity

We saw in the previous chapter that the IWC has tried to make a distinction between cultural aboriginal whaling (ASW) and commercial whaling apparently without cultural values. For many years Norwegian authorities shared this understanding and justified its own minke whaling with reference to biological and economic arguments only. Whaling was seen as an industry, and the problems caused by the moratorium were unemployment and rural depopulation. In contrast to Japan, which has always used cultural arguments to defend its coastal minke whaling, Norway began to use the cultural argument only in 1992, when the report Norwegian Small Type Whaling in Cultural Perspectives (ISG 1992) was presented at the IWC meeting and Norway's resumption of whaling was announced. In order to understand local responses to the international campaigns against whaling, it is necessary to recognize that the hunt is much more than an economic activity.

In this chapter we will see that whaling implies a way of life and is the foundation of culture as well as economically viable households and communities. It will be argued that whaling forms an important aspect of people's identity, whether they are from Alaska, Japan or Norway. The dichotomy between ASW and commercial whaling—or Western and non-Western perceptions—masks more than it explains. The whalers see themselves, and are regarded by their neighbours, as honest people engaged in honourable work in the service of society at large and even as role models for the young—not as brutal barbarians possessed by greed and the desire to hunt whales to extinction.

Perceptions of the Ocean Ecosystem

A comparison between Western and non-Western perceptions of nature will reveal several differences. The notions of parallel animal societies and of animals giving themselves up to humans are alien to Western whalers. However, in Inuit and Japanese cosmologies humans and animals are partners linked in webs of reciprocity, each endowed with souls. The animal-human relationship is one of equality. European whalers, on the other hand, may see marine mammals as created by the Lord for people to harvest. The relationship is one of dominance. Much of the environmentalist literature takes it for granted that the latter view is at the root of most environmental problems.

A superficial dichotomy between Western and non-Western perceptions of nature glosses over important nuances, however. It ignores that Judaeo-Christian doctrine not only gives man mastery over nature, but also demands wise stewardship. Svend Foyn was among the many who believed that whales were gifts from God and therefore required full utilization in respect to God and his creation.1 Today, such an attitude is typically attributed to non-Western hunters. Moreover, in Northwest European communities it is often argued that the Protestant world view deems an unlimited exploitation of the sea and its resources as morally unjustifiable greed. Thus, contrary to what is often claimed about the influence of Christianity on environmental ethics (cf. White 1967), there is also recognized need for conservation of the natural environment to the benefit of current and future generations, expressed as a concern for the survival of nature and respect for life (Eder 1996: 1).

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.